Adapting the Agile Mindset to Software Configuration Management

continuous integration, but in this case in the early 1990s. After all, CM is an enabler for change and can be adapted to the context and method it works in.

CM professionals may have been working in more traditional methods, but it has never stopped us from streamlining and automating build processes, or introducing ways to make change easier. The more you automate and stream-line, the more work that can be done and the more time we have to focus on new value-added work. From the perspective of the CM professional, bringing value to our customer is important. In all cases, CM professionals should engage with their customer which in this case is the Agile team to understand their needs, understand the technologies they use and the methods and practices they follow. I have found this an effective way to gain CM adoption and build a strong relationship with Agile teams.

To this end, it’s important for both Agile professionals and CM professionals to understand the mindsets of each. Let’s take a look at both. While this is not meant to be an extensive list of viewpoints of each, it can provide insight into each with the hopes of both Agile and CM professionals understanding each other and working effectively together.

Agile MindsetAgile thinkers bring a different frame of mind to their work. In the traditional methodologies, the world is rigidly planned with very specific milestones, changes are typically constrained, and there is less of a sense of ownership. The world is much more fluid, changes are dynamic, and there is more self-empowerment and ownership. Traditional methodologies use more of a phased-based approach while Agile methodologies use more or an incremental and iterative approach. In effective, traditional methodologies look